Yemeni air defenses shoot down Saudi-led reconnaissance drone in Ma’rib

Yemeni army forces have intercepted and targeted an unmanned aerial vehicle belonging to the Saudi-led military coalition flying in the skies over Yemen's central Province of Ma’rib.

The Spokesman for Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, said in a post published on his Twitter page that Yemeni air defense forces shot down the Chinese-made CH-4 reconnaissance drone with a surface-to-air missile as it was carrying out hostilities over the al-Jubah district in the early hours of Wednesday.

The CH-4 drone has a 3,500- to 5,000-kilometer range and a 30- to 40-hour endurance. It is also capable of carrying six missiles and a payload of up to 250 to 345 kilogram.

The unmanned aerial vehicle can fire air-to-ground missile from altitude of 5,000 meters, therefore it can stay outside of effective range of most anti-aircraft guns.

Back on September 27, Yemeni army forces and their allies shot down a US-built Boeing Insitu ScanEagle spy drone belonging to the Saudi-led military alliance as it was flying in the skies over the Medghal district of Ma’rib Province.

On Tuesday, Saudi-led warplanes conducted more than a dozen airstrikes against various residential neighborhoods across Ma’rib Province.

Local sources said the military aircraft launched 16 raids against the al-Jubah district, though no reports about possible casualties and the extent of damage caused were quickly available.

The warplanes also struck al-Abdiyah district on two occasions, and carried out an aerial raid against Sirwah district. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Separately, the Yemeni military said forces of the Saudi-led military coalition and their mercenaries violated 253 times during the past 24 hours a ceasefire agreement between warring sides for the western coastal Province of Hudaydah.

ME